York, #1 on this list · Photo: Derek Voller · CC BY-SA 2.0

North Yorkshire rankings · Walkability

Most walkable towns in North Yorkshire

York ranks first on walkability among North Yorkshire’s 54 towns of 2,500+; 25 of the 54 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland sits beside each letter. How grades work

York

141,696 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#39 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Settle

2,710 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#45 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Scarborough

59,505 people

A⁺

Better than 97% of UK towns·#100 of 2,515 in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

All 54 towns, ranked

Walkability grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland links to the national list.

Every town in North Yorkshire →

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54 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1York141,696 peopleA⁺#39 of 2,515 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Settle2,710 peopleA⁺#45 of 2,515 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

3Scarborough59,505 peopleA⁺#100 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

4Whitby12,603 peopleA⁺#116 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

T5Northallerton13,314 peopleA⁺#140 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

T5Skipton15,050 peopleA⁺#140 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

7Harrogate75,522 peopleA#163 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

8Huntington12,420 peopleA#172 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 94% of UK towns

9Norton-on-Derwent7,909 peopleA#230 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 93% of UK towns

10Upper Poppleton3,520 peopleA#239 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 93% of UK towns

11Malton6,320 peopleA#258 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

12Filey6,664 peopleA#272 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

13Ripon16,593 peopleA#331 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

14Pickering7,260 peopleA#344 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

15Selby19,480 peopleA#419 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

16Kirkbymoorside2,763 peopleA⁻#574 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

17Knaresborough15,781 peopleA⁻#609 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 82% of UK towns

T18Bishopthorpe3,333 peopleA⁻#665 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

T18Loftus4,273 peopleA⁻#665 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

20Thirsk5,891 peopleA⁻#669 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

21Haxby10,176 peopleA⁻#693 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

22Bedale3,289 peopleA⁻#743 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 78% of UK towns

23Richmond8,076 peopleA⁻#762 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 77% of UK towns

24Easingwold5,036 peopleA⁻#790 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 77% of UK towns

25Dunnington3,256 peopleA⁻#806 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 76% of UK towns

T26Cross Hills4,809 peopleB⁺#841 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

T26Middlesbrough148,232 peopleB⁺#841 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

28Copmanthorpe3,671 peopleB⁺#849 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

29Tadcaster6,339 peopleB⁺#864 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

30Sutton-in-Craven2,719 peopleB⁺#872 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

31Romanby3,825 peopleB⁺#924 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

32Thornaby-on-Tees23,352 peopleB⁺#945 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

33Saltburn-by-the-Sea5,874 peopleB⁺#995 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

34Sowerby4,727 peopleB⁺#1,121 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 67% of UK towns

35Redcar37,666 peopleB⁺#1,130 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

36Boroughbridge3,064 peopleB#1,187 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 65% of UK towns

37Eston29,625 peopleB#1,394 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 58% of UK towns

38Pannal2,530 peopleB#1,475 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

39Stokesley4,906 peopleB⁻#1,484 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

40Sherburn in Elmet8,569 peopleB⁻#1,502 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns

41Strensall6,060 peopleB⁻#1,546 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

42Guisborough18,091 peopleB⁻#1,553 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 52% of UK towns

43Marske-by-the-Sea7,576 peopleB⁻#1,607 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 50% of UK towns

44Brotton5,399 peopleB⁻#1,679 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

45Hunmanby2,900 peopleC⁺#1,761 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 44% of UK towns

46Skelton (Redcar and Cleveland)6,895 peopleC⁺#1,857 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 41% of UK towns

47Brayton4,092 peopleC⁺#1,882 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

48Barlby3,499 peopleC⁺#1,908 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 39% of UK towns

49Great Ayton4,348 peopleC⁺#1,956 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 37% of UK towns

50East Ayton and West Ayton2,809 peopleC#2,126 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 29% of UK towns

51Yarm9,601 peopleC⁻#2,271 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 21% of UK towns

52Thorpe Willoughby3,482 peopleC⁻#2,289 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 19% of UK towns

53New Marske2,990 peopleD#2,409 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 12% of UK towns

54Ingleby Barwick23,380 peopleD⁻#2,500 of 2,515 nationallybetter than 3% of UK towns

Not ranked

Not on this list

2 military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked: most residents serve in the forces or are students.

Catterick 2,718 people. Garrison town.
Catterick Garrison 14,212 people. Garrison town.

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most walkable town in North Yorkshire?

York ranks first on walkability among 54 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Settle and Scarborough follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Walkability Grade: the share of commuters who walked, cycled or took public transport to work at the 2021 Census (taken in lockdown). The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers North Yorkshire’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in North Yorkshire is on the county page.

Go deeper

More North Yorkshire lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All North Yorkshire rankings →

Best places to live54 towns · #1 Ingleby Barwick Best small towns37 towns · #1 Dunnington Most affordable towns54 towns · #1 Thornaby-on-Tees Safest towns54 towns · #1 Dunnington Towns with the best schools54 towns · #1 Ingleby Barwick Healthiest towns54 towns · #1 Pannal Best towns for jobs & income54 towns · #1 Pannal Towns with the lowest flood risk54 towns · #1 Brotton and 7 more Best towns for the outdoors54 towns · #1 Whitby Most historic towns54 towns · #1 Whitby Towns with the most civic life54 towns · #1 Great Ayton Towns with the highest household incomes56 towns · #1 Ingleby BarwickDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax56 towns · #1 YorkDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters56 towns · #1 RedcarDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers56 towns · #1 Upper PoppletonDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers56 towns · #1 Richmond and SettleDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts56 towns · #1 RedcarDescribed, no letters Driest towns56 towns · #1 Saltburn-by-the-SeaDescribed, no letters Wettest towns56 towns · #1 SettleDescribed, no letters

Sources: ONS Census 2021, output areas summed to the ONS 2022 built-up area · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.